Gas compressor



Sept. 17, 1935. H POWNALL ET AL 2,014,950

GAS COMPRESSOR Filed Aug. 12, 1.950 6 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 17, 1935. H. D. POWNALL ET AL GAS COMPRESSOR Fi-led Aug. 12, 1.930

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6 SheetsSheet 2 GAS COMPRES SOR Filed Aug. 12, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 GAS COMPRESSOR 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 12, 1930 Sept. 17, 1935. H, D, PO'WNALL ET AL GAS COMPRES SOR Filed Aug. 12, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS ATTORN EY Sept. 17, 1935. H. D. POWNALL El AL- f I GAS COMPRESSOR Filed Aug. 12, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS ATTORNEY ill Patented Sept. 17, 1935 STATES GAS COMPRESSOR Henry D. Pownall, Santa Monica, Calif., and

George L. Pownall, Columbus, Ohio 7 Application August 12, 1930, Serial No. 474,845

28 Claims.

Our invention relates to improvements in gas and fluid compressors. One of its objects is to provide an improved compressor in which a plurality of cylinders and pistons are arranged about a single driving shaft in compact arrangement. Another object is to provide an improved driving housing. Another object is to dispense with the usual crank shaft and pitman construction and provide for the use of a straight shaft and for direct radial movement of the pistons and piston rods. Another object is to provide an improved arrangement of a plurality of cylinders and pistons in a substantially horizontal plane about a vertical driving shaft, or if desired in a substantially vertical plane about a horizontal driving shaft. Another object is to provide improved means to guide and drive the pistons and piston rods. Another object is to provide an improved arrangement of compressor components whereby a refrigerating or other gas iskept separate or practically separate from the compartment in which the pistons and piston rods are located, and separate from the lubricant employed to lubricate the pistons and their driving members.

Another object is to provide an improved system of automatic lubrication for the pistons, piston rods, and driving mechanism. Our invention also comprises certain details of form and arrangement and combination of components, all of which will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and 1-A jointly show a centralvertical section through a gas compressor embodying our improvements, taken on line l-l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the compressor shown in Figs. 1 and 1-A upon a smaller scale.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the piston rod driving cam member detached.

Fig. 4 is a central vertical section through the member shown in Fig. 3, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan of a partition plate separating the driving chamber of the compressor horizontally into two compartments, and also serving as a cross-head guide for the cross-heads oi the several piston rods.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the inner end of one of the pistons and the gas inlet valve carried thereby.

Fig. 7 is a section through the same taken on line l-'l of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a section through the outer end of one or" the cylinders and its gas exit valve, taken on line 88 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8, showing one of the gas exit valves in plan.

. Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross sectional detailed view showing a fragment of, the inner end of a cylinder of the device of the invention. Fig. 11 is an enlarged detailed View of across head forming a part ofthe device of the invention.

Heretofore it has beenthe general practice to drive gas compressor pistons and piston rods by means of crank shafts, using one or more pitmans',

whichprecluded a compact organization'of the D 7,

cylinders and piston driving mechanism, since the.

'pitmans required to be not less than three times the length of the piston stroke to properly function. Also the pitmans, did not deliver a thrust, or pull in direct alignment with the pistons and piston rods, which complicated the driving operation and caused waste of power as well as remember I! is constructed in two sections, a lower section I5, and'an upper-orcap'section' 24. The

shaft I6 is a straight shaft having an upper pair of Timken roller journal bearings 4| and 42, and near its lower end'a pair of Timken roller bearings 43 and 44. The shaft I6 maybe mounted in-a horizontal position, if desired, but is preferably mounted in a vertical position as shown in Figs. 1 and 1-A, and has attached to its lower 3 end a driving pulley 20, located below the housing member 15.

The housing is preferably constructed in two parts l5 and 24 for convenience in construction and assembly. The two parts are united by an 5 annular joint 2|, and held together by means of bolts All. A housing chamber 29 between the members and i5 serves'as a lubricant chamber and a housing for a piston driving member. The housing member [5 is provided about its 40 periphery with a series of annular faces'Z'I to which a series of compressor cylinders, are adapted to be secured by means of bolts 48. The main driving shaft terminates preferably at its .upper end at or below the upper face of the cam 5 driving member l1, being secured to the mem ber IT by means of a key 22, and by'means of a pair of lock nuts 23 in a recess in the upper face of the member I1. Below the member I! is an annular flange 25 against which the inner sleeves of the bearings M and 42 are locked by means of a pair of lock nuts 25 threaded to the shaft IS. The outer sleeves 26 of the bearings M and 42 are carried and held in place by means of a detachable sleeve 21 having an inwardly bushing members I of tempered steel.

directed flange 28 to space the outer sleeves of the bearings H and 42 apart. The lock nuts 26 also serve to take up any lost motion in the bearings 4i and Q2. The bearings M and 42 are supplied with lubricant from a lubricant reservoir in the lower portion of chamber 29 located in the lower portion of the casing member I5. Beneath the bearings M and 42 is a metal packing gland 35 to prevent the escape of lubricant downwardly past the shaft E6. The lower portion of the shaft it extends below the casing member I5, where it is supported by means of the bearings 43 and which are carried in a conical bracket 3| attached by means of bolts 32 to the bottom of the housing member 55. Below the bearing 44 a driving pu1- ley 20 is attached to the shaft I6 by means of a key 33 and a nut 34.

The interior chamber of-the housing is separated in a horizontal plane into two compartments by means of a disk or plate 35, which seats or rests upon an annular ledge or seat 36 formed upon an annular portion 54 of the member I5. An annular partition 3?, depending from the cap member 240i the housing, closely approaches the upper face of the plate 35. A yielding or flexible annular tubular packing member 38 serves to seal the joint between the lower end of the partitionfii and the upper face of the plate 35, and to bear upon and assist in holding said plate 35 in place upon itsseat 35. The space above the plate 35 is thus further subdivided into a central compartment Q5 containing lubricating oil, and an annular compartment 5I fed from a gas intake conduit 5 I containing a supply of intake gas ready to be fed into the respective compressor cylinders.

The respective gas compressor cylinders 47, of which there may be two, four, six, or eight toeach housing, are attached by means of bolts 48 to openings through the side walls of the housing member 95. Each cylinder is provided with a piston 4-9 preferably provided with a gas intake valve 55 adapted to admit gas from the gas intake compartment 5i through the piston into the cylinder. Each piston is provided with a piston rod 52, which is supported for movement endwise thereof in a bearing sleeve 53 carried rigidly by an annular flange 54 forming part of the housing member I5. Each of the'piston rods at its inner end is threaded into and adjustably 'mounted relative to a cross-head 55, which slides radially of the shaft E6 in cross-head guides 56 depending from the partition plate-35. Each of the cross-heads 55 is provided with a depending stem 5? upon which is mounted a pair of Timken roller bearings 58 and 59, which support an annular internally tapered sleeve 60, which extends into a cam-shaped or eccentrically shaped groove 520i the driving member H. The side walls of the groove 62 are faced with detachable As the driving member ii is rotated by the shaft I6, each piston and piston rod is reciprocated radially of the'casing member l5, being guided near one end of the piston rods by the stationary guides 53 and near the opposite ends of the piston rods by the cross-heads 55 and cross-head guides 56. The driving member H has an extension I89 on the side where the eccentric groove approaches the driving shaft, and recesses 252 and 283, which serve to counterbalance irregularities in shape of the driving member I1 in weight, and enable the member ii to rotate at relatively high speed with out causing vibration. Any lubricant which may lodge in the recesses 202, 62 and 203 is discharged IM. 'from the head end of the cylinder, after removing centrifugally therefrom through ports 204, without disturbing the equilibrium of the driving member II. By countersinking the nuts 23 below the upper face of member II, more room is provided for the movement of the inner ends of 5 the piston rods 52, and the eccentric or cam driving groove 62 of member ll may be brought nearer on one side to the axis of rotation of member I'l than would be otherwise permissible. The member 3i also forms a support for the hous- 10 ing member I5, and is adapted to be bolted directly to a concrete foundation by means of the bolts 205. As illustrated, only four of the eight faces 21 have cylinders ii attached thereto. The remaining faces have cap members 8! attached thereto instead of cylinders as shown in Fig. 2.

, Each housing member i5 is adapted to be first centered in a lathe or boring mill and machined true to receive the driving shaft bearings, to form the joint 2! between the housing I5 and its cap member, to form the joint 36 to receive the plate 35, and to form the jointfist between the housing member I5 and its supporting member 3|. The housing member I5 is then adapted to be mounted concentrically upon a dividing head or turret and fractionally adjusted thereon to successively and accurately bore the bearings for the respective sleeves 53, and to face the joint faces 27 to. receive the cylinders 41, all of which tends toward greatly reducing the first cost of the com- 30 pressor, and 'to'insuring accuracy therein, andto enabling replacement by interchangeable parts to be made. 7

Eachpiston rod 52 is rigidly attached at one end to its piston 69, preferably by threading the reduced outer end of the rod 52 into its piston until the piston seats against a shoulder 63 on the piston rod, and spreading or heading the end 63' of the rod 52. The oppositeend of each piston rod is threaded through its cross-head 55 and 40 its inner end is provided with a polygonal Wrench seat 54 by which the piston and piston rod may be rotated toadjust the piston to or from the cross-head until the outer end of the piston makes a close fit to the cylinder head, or main exit valve 65. A look nut 66 serves to lock the piston rod rigidly to the cross-head 55. Any serviceable gas inlet valve may be employed to introduce gas from the annular gas intake chamber through the pistons into the respective cylinders. The type of gas intake valve shown in Fig. 1--A and also upon an enlarged scale in Figs. 6 and 7 is a thin metal ring of light weight located in a recess in the piston head, supported or centered relative to its piston head with limited move- 55 ment by means of a valve keeper ring l 82, screws 51, sleeves or spacing collars 61', which screws are threaded into cross-bars IM, forming part of the piston head. The gas ports 68 are in an annular row separated by the radial bars IBI.

The valve 56 engages annular valve seats I53 and The screws 6! are adapted to be removed the cylinder head to thereby remove the ring I 52 i and the valve 50, without detaching the cylinder from the housing, for inspection or replacement. By removal'of the cap 25, and the plate 35 from 'abo've the housing, access may be had to the piston rods and cross-heads for adjustment and replacement even of an entire piston and piston 70 rod, or cross-head.

The gas exit valves each comprise a main gas exit valve 55 which rests upon a valve seat I06 'of slightly greater diameter than the cylinder bore, and from which the main exit valve is adapted, in an emergency, to lift as a whole, and to normally remain upon its seat I06 and constitute the active cylinder head. Each main gas exit valve 65 is provided. with a series of auxiliary valve chambers Hi, provided with auxiliary annular valve seats "H and i I upon which are seated thin substantially weightless annular auxiliary gas exit valves '32 and 72, held in place yieldingly by.

means of a series of coiled springs it. The main gas exit valves are each built in two pieces, a hardened plate 65' constituting the main and auxiliary valve seating faces, and a housing member l' l, attached detachably to theplate 65 by means of a central bolt or stud shaft I and a castellated nut iii. The periphery of the housing member M is notched at W and serves as a guide for endwise movementof the valve 65 within the exit valve chamber l8. Each auxiliary valve is free to move independently, and in an emergency the main valve 55 is free to lift from its seat. A coiled spring it normally holds the main gas exit valve to its seat. The gas from the several exit valves is discharged into a gas oil-take manifold H6.

In the operation of gas compressors, it is desirable to have the gas enter the compressor cylinders practically free of lubricant, and the lubri-' cant supplied to the piston means and cylinders adjustable as to quantity and confined to a quantity insufficient to cause lubricant to feed past the gas exit valve, where it is undesirable. same time it is desirable that the piston rods, cross-heads, cross-head guides, and driving member should receive ample lubrication to insure their protection from injury. The piston rods, cross-heads, and cross-head guides and driving member being located in a chamber 29 of the housing, separate from the gas intake compartment 5!, receive ample lubrication, while practically no lubricant finds its way with the intake gas into the cylinders, and any liquid which might find its way with the intake gas into the cylinders, would be liable to be fed from the inner ends of the cylinders through ports 85, in a detachable closing plate 86, past a leaf spring valve 87 closing the exit end of the port 85, and held in place by means of a screw 88, and tension spring 88 into the chamber .29, instead of passing the gas intake valve 56 or the piston head to reach the gas exit valves. Any difierence in gas pressure which may develop between the contents of chamber 29 and the gas intake chamber 5! is equalized through a port 82 through the plate 35, closed by a leaf spring 83 held resiliently in place by'a screw 84, threaded into the plate 35. Any excess of pressure in the chamber 29 will flow past the spring 83 into the chamber 5i. chamber 5! will find its way through the ports 85 into the chamber 28, including any liquefied gas or other liquid. Sight feed or pressure feed lubricators I53, adapted to be carefully regulated to supply independently to each cylinder only a' sufficient amount of lubricant to meet its requirements, and without allowing lubricant to feed from the cylinders past their gas exit valves, are preferably employed to feed lubricant to the cylinders.

An oil circulating pump comprising two gears 8i! and BI mounted in a housing N32, is attached to the upper face of the plate 35 in the lubricant chamber The shaft 583 of the gear all projects downwardly through the plate 35, and its lower end is shaped into a wrench seat which enters a wrench socket we in the upper end of the main shaft it to be driven directly from the At the Any excess of pressure in the shaft I6. The oil pump takes its oil supply from the exit end of an oil filter I85 which is attached rigidly to the casing l5, and receives its oil supply through a port I36 controlled by a valve I81 from the oil reservoir in the housing chamber 29; 5

The oil from the oil reservoir in chamber 29, after passing through the filter I85, where it is freed from grit and water or other impurities, is taken into the oil pump through an oil conduit I88 and passed through the oil pump into-the oil 10 chamber 35 from which any excess of oil enters one or more stand-pipes I89. Any excess of oil pumped to the oil chamber 46 and stand-pipe I89 escapes from the topof the stand-pipe through an overflow conduit through a conduit in the wall of the housing I5, to the oil reservoir in chamber 29. Thus auniform head and pressure of oil is maintained in the chamber is.

E ach of the cross-heads 55 has a recess or 01120 cup I55 in its upper face into which a regulated supply of oil is continuously fed from the oil chamber it through restricted ports I56 in the upper end of oil conduits lE'l, which conduits I5? are threaded into perforations through the plate 35 and project upwardly from the plate 35 into the chamber it. The oil discharged through the conduits I 5? into the oil cups i55 of the cross heads 55, overflows therefrom to insure thorough lubrication of the cross-heads, cross-head guides, pi'ston rods, bearings 58 and 58, and the bearing faces of the driving member I1, and finally drains into the oil reservoir in the lower part of the chamber 29 to be returned to the oil filterand the oil pump.v The oil filter is adapted to bedetached from time to time and replaced with a new filtering member. The flange Moi thehousing member !5 is provided with a series of bosses or projections I62 extending inwardly and provided with upwardly projecting stud shafts itfil, which project-through 40 l V perforations Hi l in the plate 35. Nuts I65. above the plate 35 serve to lock the plate 35 rigidly in place, and provide for its removal when required. Indentations I66 in the edges of the driving member ll enable. the driving member I! to be introduced and removed from above, and to pass the projections i62 In Fig. 2 we have shown a driv--. ing pulley lid mounted on a countershaft I'M, in

a belt tightening member I12, and a belt 113,

by means of which the pulley 2c and drivingshaft It may be driven. V a l H The apparatus herein shown and described is capable of considerable modification within the said housing andterminating at a distance from the cap, a cam driving member mounted upon and driven by said shaft and located within said housing, a plurality of externally mounted cylinders located radially about said housing in substantially one plane, and each attached at one end to said housing, a plurality of pistons located in said cylinders respectively, a series of piston rods attached at one end to said pistons respectively, and at their opposite ends provided with I means to operatively en age and be driven bysaid cam driving member, means to guide said piston rods radially relative to said housing, and gas intake and exit valvesadapted to conduct gas to be compressed to and from said cylinders respectively.

we and is thereby returned 15 2. A gas compressor comprising a driving housing having a gas intake chamber, a lubricant chamber surrounded thereby and adriving member chamber adjacent said first mentioned chambers, a straight shaft journaled in said housing, a driving member mounted upon said driving shaft within said driving chamber and driven by said driving shaft, a plurality of cylinders located radially about said housing in substantially one plane and each attached at one end to said'housing and in communication with said driving chamber, a piston located in each cylinder, a piston rod attached at one end to each piston and extending into said driving chamber, a guide within said driving chamber for each piston to guide said piston in a radial direction to and from said driving shaft, means carried by the inner end of each piston to engage and be driven by said driving member, a gas inlet valve for each cylinder in communication with the gas inlet chamber of said housing, a gas exit valve to discharge the compressed gas from each cylinder, and a gas exit conduit from each cylinder.

3. A gas compressor comprising a driving hous ing having a driving chamber, a driving shaft journaled in a vertical position in said housing, a driving member located in a substantially horizontal plane within the driving chamber of said housing, and mounted upon and driven by said shaft, a plurality of cylinders located radially about said housing in substantially a horizontal plane, and each attached at one end to said housing and in communication with the driving cham ber of said housing, a piston located in each of said cylinders, a piston rod attached to each of said pistons and extending into the driving chamber of said housing, stationary guide members within said driving chamber adapted to guide the inner ends of said piston rods axially of said cylinders, means carried at the inner ends of said piston rods to engage said piston rods in driving relation with said driving member, a gas inlet valve for each cylinder adapted to admit gas to said cylinder, at gas exit valve for each cylinder adapted to discharge compressed gas therefrom, and gas conduits adapted to conduct gas to and from said cylinders.

4. A gas compressor comprising a driving housing having a driving chamber, a driving shaft journaled in a vertical position in said housing, a driving member located in a substantially horizontal plane within the driving chamber of said housing and mounted upon and driven by said shaft, said driving member being provided with an annular driving groove in one face thereof, a plurality of cylinders located radially about said housing in substantially a horizontal plane, and each attached at one end to said housing and in communication with the driving chamber of said housing, a piston located in each of said cylinders, a piston rod attached to each of said pistons and extending into the driving chamber of said housing, stationary guide members Within said driving chamber adapted to guide the inner ends of said piston rods axially of said cylinders, a roller bearing journaled upon the inner end of each of said pistons and engaging the annular driving groove of said driving member, a gas inlet valve for each cylinder adapted to admit gas to said cylinder, a gas exit valve for each cylinder adapted to discharge compressed gas therefrom, and gas conduits adapted to conduct gas to and from said cylinders.

5. A gas compressor comprising a driving housing having a driving chamber, a driving shaft journaled in a vertical position in said housing, a driving member located in a substantially horizontal plane within the driving chamber of said housing and mounted upon and driven by said shaft, said driving member being provided with 5 an annular driving groove in one face thereof, a plurality of cylinders located radially about said housing in substantially a horizontal plane, and each attached at one end to said housing and in communication with the driving chamber of said housing, a piston located in each of said cylinders, a piston rod attached to each of said pistons and extending into the driving chamber of said housing, a cross-head mounted upon the inner end of each piston rod, a stationary cross head guide within said driving chamber adapted to guide said piston rods and cross heads axially of said cylinders, a stud shaft carried by each of said cross-heads, a roller bearing journaled upon each of said stud-shafts and operatively engaging the Walls of the annular driving groove of said driving member to reciprocate said respective pistons and piston rods, a gas inlet valve for each cylinder, and a gas exit valve for each cylinder.

6; A gas compressor comprising a driving housing having a driving chamber, a driving shaft journaled in a vertical position in said housing,

a driving memberlocated in a substantially horizontal plane within the driving chamber of said housing, and mounted upon and driven by said shaft, said driving member being provided with an annular driving'groove in its upper face, a plurality of cylinders located radially about said housing in substantially a horizontal plane, and each attached at one end to said housing and in communication with the driving chamber of said housing, a piston located in each of. said cylinders,

a piston rod attached to each of said pistons and extending into the driving chamber of. said housing, a cross head mounted upon the inner end of 40 each piston rod, a stationary cross head guide within said driving chamber above said driving member adapted to guide said piston rods and cross heads axially of said cylinders, a stud shaft carried by each of said cross heads extending downwardly into said annular driving groove,

a roller bearing journaled upon each of said stud shafts and operatively engaging the Walls of the annular driving groove of said driving member to reciprocate said respective pistons'and piston rods, a gas inlet valve for each cylinder, and a gas exit valve for each cylinder.

7. A gas compressor comprising a driving housing having a driving'chamber, a driving shaft journaled in said housing, a driving member 10- cated in the driving chamber of said housing and mounted upon and driven by said driving shaft, a plurality'of cylinders located radially about said housing in'substantially one plane and each attached at one end to said housing and in communication with the driving chamber of said housing, a piston located in each of said cylinders, a piston rod attached to each of said pistons, stationary guide members Within said driving chamber adapted to guide the inner ends of said piston rods axiallygof. said cylinders, means carried at the inner ends of said piston rods to engage said piston rods in driving relation with said driving member, a gas inlet valve for each cylinder adapted to admit gas to said cylinder, and a gas exit valve for each cylinder adapted to discharge compressed gas therefrom.

8. A gas compressor comprising a driving housing composed of a main housing member having flanges for the attachment of a plurality of cylinders to said housing member and a detachable cap member, a horizontal detachable. partition member mounted in said housing above said flanges serving to divide said housing into a main lower compartment and an auxiliary upper compartment, an annular partition extending from said cap member to said horizontal partition serving to divide said auxiliary upper compartment into a centrally located lubricant reservoir and an exteriorly located annular gas intake compartment having an intake port and ports leading therefrom to each of the respective cylinder flanges, a plurality of cylinders attached to said cylinder flanges, a plurality of pistons located in said cylinders, a plurality of piston rods extending from said pistons into said main housing compartment, a driving shaft journaled in said housing, a driving member provided with an annular driving groove located in said main housing compartment and driven by said driving shaft and operatively engaging the piston rods, of said respective pistons.

9. A gas compressor comprising a main housing member having a plurality of cylinderrattach ing flanges, a detachable housing cap member, a horizontal partition member dividing the housing chamber above the center of said flanges into a lower compartment serving as a driving com.

partment and lubricant storage reservoir and an upper auxiliary compartment, an annular partition extending from said cap member to said partition member serving to divide said auxiliary compartment into a centrally located lubricant supply reservoir and an annular exteriorly lo-.

cated gas intake chamber provided with a gas,

intake conduit and ports leading from said gas intake chamber to the upper portions of the respective cylinder attaching ports, a plurality of cylinders attached to the respective attaching flanges, pistons mounted in said respective cylinders, piston rods extending from the respective pistons into said main housing chamber, a driving shaft journaled in said housing, a driving member mounted upon said shaft, and located within said main housing compartment and provided with an annular driving member operatively engaging said piston rods to reciprocate said pistons within said cylinders, and intake and exit valves for each cylinder.

10. A gas compressor comprising a main hous ing having a plurality of cylinder attaching flanges, an annular rim inside of said cylinder flanges provided with piston rod guides, a partition plate detachably mounted upon the top of said rim and serving to divide said main housing into a lower compartment housing the driving members and an upper compartment serving as a gas intake compartment provided with gas ports leading downwardly therefrom into the inner ends of the respective cylinders, and a plurality of cylinders attached to and extending radially from said main housing.

11. A gas compressor comprising a main housing having a plurality of cylinder attaching flanges, a plurality of cylinders attached to said flanges and projecting radially from said housing, an annular rim inside of said cylinder flanges provided with piston rod guides, a partition plate detachably mounted upon the top of said rim and serving to divide said main housing into a main compartment housing the driving members and a compartment serving as a gas intake compartment provided with gas ports leading therefrom into the inner ends of the respective cylinders, and one-way ports leading from said main driving compartment to said intake compartment, and from said cylinders to said main driving compartment to equalize the gas pressure from one 3 to another.

12. A gas compressor housing comprising a lower driving chamber, a dividing partition above said driving chamber, and a top cover plate, said top cover plate forming together with the parti-v tion an annular. gas intakechamber and a central oil chamber above the driving chamber.

1 13. A. gas compressor housing comprising a: lower. driving chamber and'an oil reservoir, a dividing partition above said driving chamber, atop cover plate forming with the said partition. an annulargas intake chamber and a central oil pump chamber. above the driving chamber, and a relief valve in the plate between said gas in-' take chamber and said lower driving chamber;

14. A gas compressor: housing comprising a iower driving chamber, a dividing partition plate above said driving chamber, a top cover plate forming with said. partition plate an annular 'gas intakexchamber'and acentral oil chamber, and an oil pump in said oil chamber.

' 15. A gas compressor housing comprising a lower driving chamber and an oil reservoirand 1 having channels in the walls thereof for oil pas sage, a dividing partition plate above the, driving chamber, the partition having channels for oil passage, a top cover plate forming with said partition plate an annular gas intake chamber and a central oil chamber above the'drivingchamber and an oil pump mounted in the oil chamber and in communication with the oil channels in the partition platen 16. A gas compressor housing comprising a lower driving chamber and an oil reservoir channeled in the walls thereof for oil passage'a partition plate above said driving chamber and having channels for oil passage, a top cover plate forming with the partition plate, an annular gas intake chamber and 'a-central' oil pump above the driving chamber, a valved oil. filter, and an oil pumpv mounted in the oil chamber and communicating with, thechannels inthe partition plate and the channels of thelower driving. cham ber, in communication with the valved'oil filter.

1 7. A gas compressor housing comprising a lower driving chamberiand an oil reservoir, a, dividing partition plateiabove said driving chamber, a top coverplate formingwith saidpartition plate an annulargas intake chamber'and a central. oil chamber above the driving chamber, an oil filter, and an oilpump mounted in said oil, chamber and in communication with the oil filter;

-18, A gas compressor housing comprising a lower driving chamber and an oil reservoir, a dividing'partition plate above said driving cha'mber, a top cover plate forming with said partition plate an annular intake chamber and a central oil chamber above the driving chamber, an oil filter, an oil pump mounted in the oil cham-' ber and communication with the filter, and an oil overflow member communicating with the oil chamber and driving chamber.

19. A gas compressor housing comprising a lower chamber and an oil reservoir, a dividing partition plate above said driving chamber, a top cover plate divided into and forming with said partition plate an annular gas intake chamber and'a central oil chamber, an oil filter, and an oil pump in communication with said oil chamber and said filter.

20. A gas compressor housing comprising a 75 lower. driving chamber and'anloil reservoir, a dividing partition plate above said driving chainber, guide members on the partition plate and a topcover plate forming with the partition plate an annular gas intake chamber and a central oil chamber above the driving chamber.

21. In a device of the class described the coinbination with a horizontal chamber having a plurality of horizontal cylinders thereon, gas in- 10 "take and exit valves communicating with the cylinders, pistons and piston rods in said respectivecylinders, means located in one part of the housingto reciprocate said pistons, apartition plate above the chamber and a detachable top cover plate forming with the partition plate an annular'gas intake chamber and a central oil chamber.

22. In combination a gas compressor housing comprising a driving chamber and an oil reserivoir, supporting means for the housing, a bracket extension from the driving chamber, a shaft journaled in the bracket and driving chamber, a horizontal dividing partition above the driving chamber, a top cover plate cooperating with the partition to form an annular gas intake chamber and a central oil intake chamber, an oil pump in the oil chamber and communicating with a guiding chamber, a plurality of cylinders disposed horizontally about the compressor housing, gas intake andv exit valves for said cylinders,

pistons and piston rods in said cylinders, means in the driving chamber to reciprocate said pistons and guide means for the piston rods on said partition plate.

23. In a gas compressor a housing, a plurality of cylinders attached each at one end to said housing, a driving shaft journalled in the hous ing, pistons in said cylinders,'a series of piston rods attached at one end to said respective pis- 40 tons, means on the shaft and attached to the free ends of the piston rods for reciprocating the pistons, a series of relief valves at the inner ends of said respective cylinders and gas intake and exit valves for conducting 'gas to be compressed 45 'to and from the respective cylinders.

24. In a gas compressorthe combinationof a centrallylocated driving housing, a detachable cap'on the driving housing, a straight shaftjour- V naled in the housing and terminating at'a dis- 50"tance from the cap, an eccentric drive means mounted on and driven by the shaft and disposed in the driving housing, radial cylinders disposed in one plane and attached at one end about the exterior of the driving housing,'relief valves at 55 the inner ends of the respective cylinders at their junctions with the housing, piston rods attached at one end of the pistons, means at the opposite ends of the piston rods'connecting them to the eccentric driving means and means in the driving chamber to guide the pistons and the piston rods radially of the housing.

25. In agas compressor the combination of a 5 driving housing, a plurality of radially mounted cylinders thereon, a partition plate mounted in said housing, an extension bracket disposed at one end of the housing, a driving shaft journaled in one end of the housing and in said bracket ex- 1 j tension, a detachable cap at the opposite end of the housing, said cap forming with the partition plate an'annular gas intake chamber and a central oil chamber, pistons located in the cylinders,

piston rods attached to the pistons and extend- 151 ing into the driving chamber, guide means in the driving chamber for said piston rods to guide the pistons in radially of the shaft, means on the shaft and the inner ends of the piston rods for effecting reciprocation of the pistons, a gas inlet 20 ber, a top cover plate forming with said partition 30 plate a gas intake chamberabove the driving chamber, cylinders attached at one end to the housing, relief valves at the inner ends of said cylinders at their junctions with said housing,

and a relief valve in the partition plate between 35 the driving chamber and the intake chamber.

27. In a compressor the combination of a housing having a driving chamber and an oil chamber above the driving chamber, and a telescopically arranged stand pipe and overflow pro- 40" jecting above the oil chamber and communicating therewith for maintaining a predetermined head and pressure of oil in the oil chamber.

28. In combination a fixedly mounted plate member having radially extending guide ways therein, cross heads reciprocating in said ways and of polygonal cross section complementary to the Ways in said plate whereby one face only of said cross heads is exposed, a stud projecting from said exposed faces and a roller bearing journaled on each projecting stud for engagement in a cam groove whereby said cross heads are guidedly reciprocated and retained against movement other than reciprocatory motion.

HENRY D. POWNALL. GEORGE L. POWNALL. 

